Help North 17 Public Transit Work for Everyone

Hungryneck Straphangers is planning a Public Transit Outreach Campaign in the area surrounding North Highway 17 from Highway 41 Outward to Ten Mile from Feb. 27 to March 8. This would include working with Park West, Charleston National, businesses in the Area, the 10 Mile Community, Whitehall Terrace, Wando High School and Carolina Park.
We need to work with community leaders and groups in the area to hang cards or doorknobs throughout the area to increase utilization of the public transit services available there: CARTA 40, CARTA Express 2 and the Tri County Link line to McClellenville. We would also be working to improve the bus stops in that part of Mount Pleasant as part of this effort. We would like to talk to people about the new online tools like Bus Tracker and Google Transit which make using Transit more efficient in Mount Pleasant.
Currently the CARTA #40 bus transports an average of 11 passengers per vehicle operating hour and is working toward a system standard goal of 20, transporting 14,429 riders in Nov. 2014. It operates ever 40 minutes on week days and once an hour on Sunday. The #2 Express Bus picks up passengers from the park and ride location at Oakland Shopping Center on week days, reaching downtown in 30 minutes. The Express transports 14 riders per vehicle hour, 10,915 riders in Nov. 2014. Once downtown, riders can get anywhere in Charleston on the Free DASH Trolley Buses. Connecting North 17 in the Opposite Direction,Tri County Link’s buses provide service between McClellenville, Awendaw and Mount Pleasant, connecting with CARTA at Oakland Market and Kmart.
The North 17 transit effort would conclude with a transit enabled trip to theSecond Sunday on King Street Celebration on March 8 from the stops along that part of the #40 route. We would have guides on board to assist the public and the buses could be tracked online. It should be a fun day for everyone.

Bus Stop shelter at Sea Island Shopping Center

We need people and groups to contact to make this work. We’ve done similar things in the past with good results, helping increase transit ridership on these routes back in 2011. Transit creates a new option for everyone and is critical to the half of the population which doesn’t have a drivers license. Transit is fun, brings community together and turns time in the car into time to read, use your connected devices or socialize while enjoying the ride. The hour you spend behind the wheel of your car can become “me” time or “we” time, shared with family, friends or neighbors. It’s important to build ridership and meet system goals to avoid having bus service reduced or cancelled and to build a foundation for future improvements that will help build community, increase property values and make educational and employment opportunities more accessible for everyone in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Any person or group who would be willing to work with us can contact William Hamilton, wjhamilton29464@gmail.com or (843( 870-5299. We’re happy to come out to speak to community groups and we’ll bring our own, veteran volunteers to help with the effort.
In addition to this effort, Hungryneck Straphangers will be working with area Hotels to promote “Parking Pleasantly and Playing Downtown” at are Hotels which increases local business revenue and tax base (helping keep residential taxes low) and working along the Coleman Blvd. Corridor to increase ridership on the Coleman Blvd. #41 bus this Spring.
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